Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Free For A Few Days And Not Feeling Great


xxkristin

Recommended Posts

xxkristin Apprentice

I was diagnosed with celiac disease a couple days ago and since then I've been eating gluten free, well to my knowledge at least. The past 2 days, I've been hungry constantly. Even after eating a meal, I'll still be hungry. And I get REALLY hungry and have stomach pains sometimes. I also feel a bit weak at times and nauseous, especially when I'm hungry. Is this normal after you cut out gluten? And if so, how long does it usually take to go away? I don't really like feeling hungry and nauseous all the time.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



eatmeat4good Enthusiast

It is very normal. Many people have the extreme hunger and it is like your body is trying to make up for the malnutrition. I don't know how long it lasts, but mine took a few weeks to settle down. Hope you feel better soon. For now, eat as much as you like and can tolerate. Mostly whole foods, not packaged foods. The healing will take a while, but it should get easier. Welcome!

Strawberry-Jam Enthusiast

Definitely normal! I wasn't experiencing it as badly as you did, but after going gluten-free I started getting hungry many times a day and my stomach would actually GROWL. This was a huge step forward for me, since my primary symptoms were never feeling truly hungry, since my stomach emptied so slowly of undigested gluten, or being bloated/full alla time with acid reflux no matter how little I ate.

It should settle down after a while. For now, eat what you can, and make sure you get enough fat and protein, which should help keep you fuller longer.

Brigit Apprentice

Hi,

I've only been gluten free for 3 weeks. And they have been rather rough. Some days, I've been incredibly tired and very sore, and also like you mentioned; nauseous and hungry. But in between those days I've had glimpses of what it's going to feel like to be better, to wake up with no tingling in my hands and have no dizziness during the day. And that's what you need to remind yourself about.

We need to put some hard work in now, emotionally and mentally to help our bodies through a difficult time. You're body is going through change, so it's not going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it.

And yes, eat lots of what you can. Fresh fruit and veggies. Nice fish and meat, nuts and seeds. There are quite a few lovely treats to snack on.

Stick it out, I've been told that you'll start feeling better around 2 or 4 months, that's not to far away. :)

T.H. Community Regular

Hungry all the time - yeah, not uncommon symptom. Mine lasted about 8 weeks, and I was simply hungry every moment of the day. Yeah, that sucked. A lot. But it did go away.

Nausea - sometimes that can be hunger, but sometimes it can be due to intolerances, like dairy. Most of us are lactose intolerant until we've healed. The part of the villi that makes lactase is also the part that our gut attacks when we eat gluten. <_< But for most celiacs, this passes after you've healed, often around 6 months or so, I think?

Emma-Lee Rookie

When I went gluten free (3 weeks ago) I noticed the hunger right away. YES NORMAL. What I did was make sure I was packing myself plenty, I mean plenty of food for work. LOTS of snacks, I ate so much, but I didn't care because I hate being hungry and nauseous....3 weeks later I don't need as much. So I just recommend being accepting of yourself, and knowing that you need to eat more regularly and more often for a while. It was tough, but it takes time. Oh, and that gas can take months to clear. Your GI has to heal....it's been so frustrating for me, but I totally get yah....hang in there, it will pass.=)

AerinA Rookie

For me the nausea turned out to be low blood sugar. I think it was withdrawal/body in starvation mode/"ohmygodwhereismygluten." I think our bodies are trying to make us eat gluten because that's what you're used to and a lot of people do have some form of withdrawal. I was actually hungry all the time PRE-gluten free diet and had vitamin deficiencies, after a few weeks on the diet I'm eating a much more normal diet, by choice, rather than having to force myself to wait for the next meal. Things get better all the time. I'm sure they will for you, too.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Scott Adams replied to Aretaeus Cappadocia's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Brown Rice Vinegar (organic) from Eden Foods is likely gluten free

    2. - Scott Adams replied to wellthatsfun's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      nothing has changed

    3. - Scott Adams commented on knitty kitty's blog entry in Thiamine Thiamine Thiamine
      1

      About Celiac Remission

    4. - Scott Adams replied to TheDHhurts's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Jmartes71's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Medications

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,190
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Atl222
    Newest Member
    Atl222
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      This is a solid, well-reasoned approach. You’re right that “koji” by itself doesn’t indicate gluten status, and the risk really does come down to which grain is used to culture it. The fact that you directly contacted Eden Foods and received a clear statement that their koji is made from rice only, with no wheat or barley, is meaningful due diligence—especially since Eden has a long-standing reputation for transparency. While the lack of gluten labeling can understandably give pause, manufacturer confirmation like this is often what people rely on for traditionally fermented products. As always, trusting your body after trying it is reasonable, but based on the information you gathered, your conclusion makes sense.
    • Scott Adams
      Seven months can still be early in celiac healing, especially if you were mostly asymptomatic to begin with—symptoms like low iron, vitamin D deficiency, nail changes, and hair issues often take much longer to improve because the gut needs time to recover before absorption normalizes. A tTG-IgA of 69 is not “low” in terms of immune activity, and it can take 12–24 months (sometimes longer) for antibodies and the intestinal lining to fully heal, particularly in teens and young adults. Eating gluten again to “test” things isn’t recommended and won’t give you clear answers—it’s far more likely to cause harm than clarity. Weight not changing is also very common in celiac and doesn’t rule anything out. Please know that your frustration and sadness matter; this adjustment is hard, and feeling stuck can really affect mental health. You deserve support, and if you can, reaching out to a GI dietitian or mental health professional familiar with chronic illness could really help you through this phase. This study indicates that a majority of celiacs don't recover until 5 years after diagnosis and starting a gluten-free diet: Mucosal recovery and mortality in adults with celiac disease after treatment with a gluten-free diet However, it's also possible that what the study really shows is the difficulty in maintaining a 100% gluten-free diet. I suspect that if you looked closely at the diets of those who did not recover within 2 years might be that their diets were not 100% gluten-free. Perhaps they ate out more often, or didn't understand all of the hidden ingredients where gluten can hide. Either way, it shows how difficult recovery from celiac disease can be for most people. According to this study: This article explores other causes of flattened villi:    
    • Scott Adams
      Gluten testing is normally reported in ppm (parts per million), which is equivalent to mg/kg, not micrograms by itself. A result of <0.025 mcg only becomes meaningful if you know the sample size tested (for example, mcg per gram or per kg). If that value represents <0.025 mcg per gram, that would equal <25 ppm, which is above the gluten-free threshold; if it’s <0.025 mcg per kilogram, it would be extremely low and well within GF limits. Without the denominator, the result is incomplete. It’s reasonable to follow up with the company and ask them to confirm the result in ppm using a validated method (like ELISA R5)—that’s the standard used to assess gluten safety.
    • Scott Adams
      Medication sensitivity is very real for many people with celiac and other autoimmune conditions, and it’s frustrating when that’s brushed off. Even when a medication is technically gluten-free, fillers, dose changes, or how your nervous system reacts—especially with things like gabapentin—can cause paradoxical effects like feeling wired but exhausted. The fact that it helped bloating suggests it may be affecting gut–nerve signaling, which makes sense in the context of SIBO, but that doesn’t mean the side effects should be ignored. You’re carrying a heavy load right now with ongoing skin, eye, and neurological uncertainty, and living in that kind of limbo is exhausting on its own. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed and discouraged when systems and providers don’t meet you where you are—your experience is valid, and continuing to advocate for yourself, even when it’s hard, really does matter. You can search this site for prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      I am not aware of an air detector for gluten, but Nima Partners sells a device that can detect gluten in minutes in a small sample of a meal or food that you eat. They are also a sponsor here for full disclosure: https://nimanow.com
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.